Ex-Mzuni guards drag VC, others to court

Twenty former security staff at Mzuzu University (Mzuni) have dragged Mzuni Vice-Chancellor (VC), registrar and assistant registrar to court for contempt of court.

The guards, through lawyer George Kadzipatike, have since filed applications in the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) calling for committal to prison of the three officials or be punished as the court deems fit for not complying with a court order issued on September 12 2012 that they be paid pension bonuses within 30 days. The order expired in December 2012.

According to an affidavit by one of the guards Kenneth Kaunda, the three neither appealed against the ruling nor obtained a stay order.

“Despite serving the respondent with the above mentioned court order, its controlling officers namely the Vice-Chancellor [Dr. Robert Ridley], the university registrar [Vyson Jedegwa], and the assistant registrar (Chiyamiko Chinkwita Phiri) have voluntarily chosen not to comply with it as they have wilfully refused to pay to us our benefits and bonuses as per the order.

“I humbly pray to this honourable court that it commits the respondent’s controlling officers to prison or otherwise punishes them for contempt of court having disregarded the court’s order,” it reads

Jedegwa on Wednesday said the stand of the university is that it does not comment on issues that are in court.